Memories, Old and New

Another year of memories will be soon be added into my 67-year-old book of life. I sit in the dark shadows of the garage, now packed up to move south after thirty years in the Midwest. God calms and soothes my exhausted spirit. The chill of the dreary rain penetrates my coffee, and it turns cold. I patiently wait on life as God makes good on all His promises.

In the darkness of the rubbish and boxes, two objects which I’ve personally touched, leave me wondering of their memories as well. An old red rocker gave up the ghost – it came from a yard sale. I have no concept of the famous children of God who wept for hours sitting on it. But, with a little love, its rejuvenated life will totter a little longer. I wonder where its life began and wished I could reminisce the stories it would tell.

And a second memory was created with a little carpentry work – something I built for my beautiful wife and me to enjoy in our new home. I never thought of how old and new memories join in matrimony until this morning; an old rocking chair, tossed to the curb, and the other, an entertainment stand I gave birth to using lumber. The stand is brand new with a story to tell – a memory of how my wife and I put it together in our first year of marriage. It will be with us for the rest of our days. Someday, it will be passed down to the grandchildren who will remember Pop-Pop built this by hand in his garage.

For now, though, they quietly stand alone, waiting for their remembrances to unfold of decorating them for many holiday seasons to come. The bright red rocker, wise and strong, sits beside its impressive partner. An entertainment center quietly stands, but the rocker is not in a hurry to go anywhere. It looks up to the new grains of lumber. The stand feels the only comfort from the chair accompanying it in the garage.

Cherished memories, a gift given by none other than God, carries us throughout the years. The new ones, like this cabinet, will be held so dear to us too. With the hands that hold you, my love, I molded something special for you to love as well.

We eat our lunch amongst the sawdust and scraps, with sticky, varnished-stained fingers and share thoughts of new beginnings and new memories. God will be in our every thought, in the coming years, in our new home. May we never lose sight, He only, shapes our future. So, let us thank Him for the gift of remembrance.

Dana S. Bicks, a Severna Park, Maryland native, was born a left-handed dyslexic, and falsely labeled "retarded" as a young child. He struggled throughout his life with the disability when at the age of sixty, a miracle occurred. God, in His infinite grace and wisdom, awoke Dana and demanded him to be a writer of His messages to the world. Shortly after finding humor in God's suggestion, Dana picked up a pen. He began writing, right-handed nonetheless, Christian struggles of life, and prayers ascribed to him by the Lord. In June 2017, Dana and his wife created this inspirational blog which currently maintains 19.6 million readers in twenty-nine countries across the world. It has won numerous awards including a Top 30 Inspirational Blog Website To Follow in 2018 as awarded by Feedspot.com in May 2018. His blog is followed by numerous celebrities, ministries, authors, and people in all walks of life. Only God's hand could allow an unexperienced writer to grow a fellowship of such success in less than a year! Dana Bicks shares these stories in his beautiful books, blogs, and social media platforms. His new inspirational book series, "There In God's Grace", will be released September 27, 2018. Dana’s creative, talented writing can only be heaven sent!